Dental instrument.



No. 677,268. Patented June 25, I90I. R. B. POWER.

DENTAL INSTRUMENT.

(Application:- filed Mgr. 16, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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ROSOOE ]3. POWER, OF GREENBAY, WISCONSIN.

DENTAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,268, dated June 25,1901.

Application filed March 16, 1901. Serial No. 61,490. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROSGOE l3. POWER, re siding at Greenbay, in thecounty of Brown and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Dental Instruments, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the ac companyingdrawings.

This invention relates to instruments used for retaining the fillinginteeth while the operation of tooth-filling is in progress.

The object of the invention is to produce an artificial wall surroundinga decayed tooth, against which wall a filling may be applied or builtup, and which wall shall retain the fillin gin place until it iscompletely hardened.

Figure 1 is a plan of one of the metallic bands or walls which is usedin my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan and an edge view of the auxiliary bandor wall-piece. Fig. 3 is a perspective of the clamping-spring used tomaintain the band or bands in place. Fig. 4 is a broken plan showing theforceps and clamping-wall as applied to a tooth. Fig. 5 is a sectionalview of the wall applied to a tooth. Fig. 6 is a perspective, adjacentteeth being indicated by dotted lines.

The flexible Wall-piece A is made of thin pliable metal-such as gold,platinum, aluminum, or annealed iron or steel preferably plated with anon-oxidizable metal. This piece is not quite long enough to surround atooth of ordinary size. Different pieces will be furnished to a set, theset usually comprising two or three pieces A dilfering in size. The endsof the pieces are rounded, and near each end and near the opposite sidesof piece A there is a slot a, into which slot a springclamp O engageswhen the wall-piece is in position on the tooth.

The springclasp C is a strong metallic spring of horseshoe shape, havingsharp ends 0, which are constructed to enter slots 0 Ct in the ends ofthe band A, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. The band A may be turned witheither edge upward, and as holes CL are in somewhat diiferent relationto the edge of the band the reversal of position of the bands adapts itto different locations and different teeth.

The flexible wall-piece may be applied to a tooth in which the side wallis broken, and when the points 0 enter two of the holes in a band A theclasp will retain the wall-piece with great firmness. If the side of atooth T be broken down, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6, the wall A formsan abutment outside the carious place in the tooth, and a filling may beapplied against the tooth and wall and retained in position untilsolidified.

In case there are cavities on both sides of the tooth, then thewall-pieces A and B may both be used. The piece B is substantiallysimilar in material and outline to the piece A, but is shorter, and theends are beveled to extreme thinness. The piece B need not have slots orperforations. The piece Ais applied to the tooth and held by clamp O,and the piece B is slipped inside thepiece A, so as to complete the wallabout the tooth, as shown in Fig. 4.

By the use of not more than two strips A B of suitable length walls canbe built about teeth and teeth filled of such character that without thewall it would be almost impossible to apply a filling. The wall relievesand supports the tooth during the application of the filling whether thesame be a soft filling pressed to place or a metal filling made solid bya mallet.

The spring-clamp C may have openings 0 for the application of forceps Din usual manner for applying a tooth or dam clamp.

What I claim is- .1. The band or artificial Wall for dental matrix, ofthin flexible metal,having rounded ends, and perforations at oppositesides or edges and near the ends, the perforations near one edge beingnearer the ends than those near the other edge, whereby a clamp mayengage one or the other set of holes, and thus the size of theencircling band or matrix be varied.

2. A dental matrix consisting essentially of a flexible metallic striphaving slots near its ends and at opposite sides, and a spring-clasp ofhorseshoe shape having sharp ends to enter the slots in the flexiblestrip, said clasp having holes near its ends for the application offorceps, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROSCOE B. POWER.

Witnesses:

-WM. Hoo F. E. HULBERT.

